Robert stood to shake their hands, his grip weak and distracted.Jessica remained seated but acknowledged them with a small nod.Her hands were clasped tightly in her lap and Miles could see her knuckles had gone white from the pressure.
"We're very sorry for your loss," Vic said as they settled into chairs Linda had indicated."We know this is an incredibly difficult time, but we hope any answers we get now will help us find the people responsible and hopefully prevent any further events like this."
Linda sat beside her husband and reached for his hand."The detectives said the FBI is involved because they think Amanda's death is connected to other cases?The…the Elementalist cases I've seen on the news, is that right?"
"We're investigating that possibility, yes," Miles said carefully."We have some questions that might help us understand what happened.Is that all right?"
"Of course," Robert said.His voice was rough, like he had been crying or shouting or both."Anything that helps you find whoever did this."
Miles pulled out his phone to take notes."Can you tell us about Amanda's work at SkyHigh Adventures?How long had she been instructing there?"
"About eight years," Linda said."She started right after college.She loved skydiving and had been doing it since she was twenty-one.Teaching others to jump was her dream job."
"Did she ever mention any problems at work?"Vic asked."Conflicts with coworkers or students?"
Linda shook her head."No, never.She got along with everyone there as far as I know.Her boss was always telling us how much the students loved her, how patient she was with nervous first-timers.She even had a few clients who sent her birthday cards.She made friends with a lot of people there."
Jessica spoke for the first time, her voice barely above a whisper."She was good at making people feel safe.I think it’s why she was so good at her job."
Miles noted the past tense, the way Jessica seemed to be forcing the words out."In the days or weeks before her death, did Amanda mention feeling followed or threatened in any way?"
"No," Robert said immediately."Nothing like that.She would have told us if something was wrong."He looked to Linda to see if she agreed, and she gave a small nod.
"She called me every Sunday," Linda added."We talked for at least an hour.She never said anything about being worried or afraid."
"What about her personal life?"Vic asked."Was she seeing anyone?Any new friendships or relationships that you can think of?"
Jessica's hands tightened further in her lap."She had been dating someone for a few months, but it wasn't serious.I think he lives like an hour away, so they never saw each other all that much.She spent most of her free time at the jump center or hiking.She liked being outdoors."
Miles made notes on his phone, watching Jessica carefully.She looked like she was barely holding on, her breathing shallow and controlled in a way that suggested she was fighting tears.He guessed she’d been doing that for quite a while now, ever since her sister’s body had been discovered.
"Did Amanda have any hobbies or activities outside of skydiving?"Miles asked.
"She ran marathons," Robert said."Completed three of them in the past two years.She was training for another one next month.She…well, I don’t believe she ever placed very high in them, but she loved to run."
Miles nodded, thinking of the oxygen a typical runner would use up during a run…and then layer that against the distorted message on the letter the killer had left behind.
"Do you know if she ever participated in any athletic studies or fitness research?Anything that would have involved medical testing or performance evaluation?"she asked.Miles nodded enthusiastically, as such studies had been a huge help to them in past cases…even as recently as the very last case.In fact, it was causing him to get a bit of déjà vu.
Linda and Robert exchanged glances."Not that we know of," Linda said, clearly giving it some serious thought."Why do you ask?"
"We're trying to establish if there's any connection between Amanda and another victim we are pretty sure was taken in the same way," Vic said."Sometimes these connections aren't obvious at first."
Jessica made a small sound, something between a sob and a gasp.Everyone turned to look at her and Miles saw tears beginning to stream down her face.She pressed the tissue to her mouth, her shoulders shaking.
Linda moved quickly to sit beside her daughter, wrapping an arm around Jessica's shoulders."It's okay, honey.Let it out."
But Jessica shook her head violently, still fighting for control.Her breathing had become ragged and uneven.Miles recognized the signs of someone on the edge of a complete breakdown, holding on by pure force of will.
"I'm sorry," Jessica managed to say."I just keep thinking about her falling.About how scared she must have been.I just…my God, to think of her up there…it’s like something out of a living nightmare.”
The words hit the room like a physical blow.Robert's face crumpled and he turned away, his hand covering his eyes.Linda held Jessica tighter, her own tears flowing freely now.And just like that, Miles was sitting in a chamber of grief.He gave them a moment, understanding that some grief couldn't be rushed.Vic remained still and respectful, her phone in her lap as she looked patiently to the floor.
After a long minute, Jessica pulled back from her mother and wiped her face."I'm sorry.I thought I could hold it together."
"You don't need to apologize," Vic said gently."There's no right way to handle something like this."
Jessica nodded and took a shaky breath."Do you think you can find who did this to her?"
